Introduction: A longitudinal panel study of a cohort of African American adolescents were initially surveyed in Central Harlem in 1965 and were followed at five different time waves over a span of 30 years to examine general and oral health patterns and status over time. Objective: We sought to assess whether patients who sought routine dental care were different from those who did not seek care at Time 5 (between 1995-98). Results: At Time 5, there were 100 participants; of whom, 74% saw a dentist in the last year and 26% did not. Participants who sought care were more likely to be female (p<.001), to report good health (p<.10), to have less problems with teeth or gums (p<.01),and to have medical insurance (pº.005). There were no differences in groups between time of last physical exam or whether they saw a doctor when ill. Conclusion: Approximately 75% of participants who did not seek dental care services self-reported oral health problems. For this cohort, insurance status was an important indicator of utilization of dental care services; however, insurance status did not play a role in utilization of medical care services. In order to increase utilization of primary dental care services, there is a clear need to integrate primary dental care services with general health and medical care and/or to increase capacity for referral to dental care services by primary medical care providers.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to: 1) identify factors that affect utilization to oral health care services 2) recognize that oral health need does not translate into utilization of dental care services 3) identify strategies to increase utilization of dental care services for individuals with particular oral health and general health needs
Keywords: Oral Health Needs, Utilization
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.